Single-blade and multi-blade belt scrapers or cleaners are frequently used with belt conveyors in mining and mineral storage operations and in a wide variety of other applications. Single-blade cleaners (the blade may be formed of a plurality of abutting segments) are usually used in primary cleaners, scraping conveyed material from a part of the conveyor belt backed up by the head pulley. These conveyor belt cleaners usually operate in an environment that can only be described as hostile. The working conditions are frequently wet, dirty, and even corrosive. Continuing maintenance activity is a necessity due to inevitable wear on the cleaner blades, but is often rendered difficult by limited access space and the aforementioned adverse working conditions. In excessively wet or corrosive environments, maintenance is made more difficult by corrosion of metal mounting bolts, clamps, and the like. All of these difficulties are likely to be present in mining operations and also in industrial applications.
In a primary belt cleaner the scraper blade must accommodate mechanical belt joints and heavy, clinging, localized accumulations. The primary cleaner blade should afford an effective, consistent scraping action despite extensive wear and continuing movement of belt joints (splices) through the cleaner. Corrosion should be precluded, along with effective shock protection for individual blades. Moreover, overly compliant or excessively stiff blades should be avoided to preclude excessive vibration.